Curaçao’s beloved Blenchi (Chlorostilbon mellisugus, blue-tailed emerald hummingbird) is only 8 cm (3 inches) long and that includes its notorious 0.7 inch bill. But don’t be fooled by its small size: it’s a mighty fierce little bird! The male Blenchi is magnificently glittering green (emerald), while the female is slightly duller grayish color. Blenchis sip nectar from flowers and carry pollen to other flowers, hence the popular children’s song in Papiamentu (Blenchi ta chupa flor). And if you ask visual artist Ethanie Martina, they make excellent Carnival costumes. “The girls could dress up as gorgeous Curaçao flowers (bougainvilleas, fayalobis, korona di labírgen, etc) and the guys would all be Blenchis, pointing their long bills at the flowersthroughout the parade! (…)”